Autumn 2003

Germany:Ricardo means businessGermany:Ricardo means business

Gasoline’s 20% savingLBDI® technology cuts consumption usingtoday’s parts and processes

GSQAHow Ricardo technology helps carmakers achieve world-class gearshift quality

InterviewsLouis Schweitzer

Chairman and CEO, Renault

Hiroyuki WatanabeHead of worldwide R&D, Toyota

Ricardo acquires PROTOtechnik-IFT, which counts Porscheamong its prestigious customers

GSQA

Gasoline’s 20% saving Interviews

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Autumn 2003 3Ricardo Quarterly Review

contentsAutumn 2003

NEWS

Industry update 4Frankfurt Show: Sports sedan concept fromJaguar highlights lightweight and dieseltechnology; particle filters gain acceptance;micro-hybrids arrive; Toyota’s new hybridtake; Ricardo CEO welcomes Germanacquisition

News from Ricardo 20Triumph for Ricardo in downhill race; GlobalPowertrain Congress features Ricardopapers; seminars on particulates andsoftware

FEATURES

PROTOtechnik-IFT 8The acquisition of the prestigious specialistpropels Ricardo into Germany’s big league.Tony Lewin reports from Europe’s biggestmarket for automotive engineering

Gasoline’s big breakthrough 14Ricardo’s cost-effective LBDI® system cutsconsumption and emissions by 20 per cent– using today’s industrial infrastructure.Anthony Smith has the details

GSQA 18Gearshift quality is notoriously difficult toanalyse objectively – but now Ricardo hasthe tools to enable every carmaker toachieve the desired values. Anthony Smithreports

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Louis Schweitzer 6Renault’s CEO has presided over a dramaticrenaissance of the brand’s style, sales andglobal reach. Tony Lewin hears his futureplans for the Alliance

Hiroyuki Watanabe 17As Toyota’s worldwide head of R&D,Hiroyuki Watanabe is responsible for everytechnology in every market. Tony Lewinfinds out his thinking

17

6

8 18

Head office: Ricardo plc, Bridge Works,Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex BN43 5FG, United KingdomTel: +44 (0)1273 455611

Conceived and produced for Ricardo by TwoTone Media LtdEditor: Tony LewinDesign: Lucie Brown

Ricardo contacts and locations: www.ricardo.com/contactsRQ subscriptions: www.ricardo.com/rqSales enquiries: busdev@ricardo.com

TwoTone Media Ltd contacts:Anthony Smith AVSmith@2tmedia.comTony Lewin tonylewin@2tmedia.com

4 INDUSTRY NEWS Autumn 2003Ricardo Quarterly Review

● in brief

Piezo goes gasolineThe piezo-electric injectorspioneered by Siemens for DIdiesel engines are now beingadapted for use in gasolineengines, where they areexpected to generate fuelsavings of up to 20 per cent.

Valeo sees bright futureAutomated parking systemsare tipped for a bright future byValeo. “The dream of cars thatdrive themselves will beginwith parallel parking,” said CEOThierry Morin, predicting thatsuch systems would begin tobe available around 2006. Morinalso forecast that Valeo wouldbe a global top-five supplier by2010, and that it would havenumber-one positions in tenproduct areas.

Siemens’ innovation driveAmong a flurry ofdevelopments announced bySiemensVDO at the Frankfurtauto show are electric impulsecharging to boost low-endtorque on turbo, frontalsensors for active pedestrianprotection, heat-exchangercooling systems with pulsewidth modulated control ofmotors, and a handwritingrecognition interface thatallows drivers to writecommands to multimediasystems and navigation.

Toyota two years aheadToyota has brought forward its2005 goal of selling 800,000units in Europe to this year, andhas set a new objective for2010 – to sell 1.2 millionvehicles in the region.

Solar power for BMWBMW’s 3-series can now beordered with solar poweredventilation. An array of 24 solarcells in the sunroof panel feedsup to 18W to six fans in theroof lining, helping reducecabin temperature build-up by15-20o Celsius when thevehicle is parked, withoutdrawing any power from thebattery. The system also helpsimprove the effectiveness ofthe standard air conditioning.

Jaguar’s vision of a near-futurecompact sports sedan is built ofaluminium, has rear-hinged doorsto allow a sleek coupé roofline –and is powered by a twin-turbodiesel engine.

Unveiling the R-D6 designstudy at September’s Frankfurtauto show, Jaguar design directorIan Callum hailed the 4330mmlong, 1500kg four-seater as “avision of the future of premiummotoring: beautiful, fast, agile,efficient and fun.”

Mike Wright, managing directorof Jaguar cars, added that the R-D6 was a concept whichsought to build on the heritage ofthe R Coupé, shown in 2001, andfurther develop Jaguar’s newdesign direction. “We also wantedto showcase the latesttechnology in lightweight vehiclestructures and our potent new bi-turbo common-rail V6 dieselengine,” he said.

The 2.7 litre common-rail dieselis a co-operative venture betweenPSA, Jaguar and Ford, and in theapplication for the R-D6 has been tuned to what

Jaguar says are “beyondroadgoing levels” to give230 hp – enough to provide0-100km/h acceleration in undersix seconds and a maximumspeed regulated at 250km/h.

Very similar in weight anddimensions is Audi’s Le Mansquattro concept. Taking itsinspiration from the company’striumphs in the French 24-hourclassic, the Le Mans quattro usesan aluminium space frame tohouse two occupants and themid-mounted direct-injection

gasoline engine. Again with twoturbochargers, the five-litre V10unit sends its 610 hp to all fourwheels to allow a theoretical topspeed of 345 km/h.

Further innovations includeAudi’s magnetic ride dampersystem and an instrument panelwhich can be switched from itsconventional roadgoing analoguecondition to track mode where aplan of the circuit is displayedand GPS satellites indicate thenext bend and even compute thecar’s lap times.

Diesel power forJaguar concept

Diesel particulate filters arebeginning to achieve broadermarket breakthrough ascarmakers seek to ensure theirproducts are seen as environ-mentally clean as well as low onCO2 emissions. For someproducers, the fitment of aparticulate filter – pioneered byPSA in 2000 – is the key tocompliance with Euro 4emissions standardswhich come into forcein 2005.

New models to include PMfiltration systems include theMazda 3, Ford Focus C-Max,Volvo S40 and severalVolkswagen derivatives. BMW,too, is introducing filtration on itslarger diesel engines, allowing the

whole model line-up to becomeEuro 4 compliant. Describing itsmove as a breakthrough in filtertechnology, BMW says itsmaintenance-free catalyticsystem requires noadditives andenables

even itslarger and more

powerful diesel cars tomeet Euro 4. Smaller BMWs,

says the company, can complywithout the need for the filter.

A similar view is held at PSAPeugeot-Citroën, where GillesMichel, executive vice presidentfor platforms, engineering andpurchasing, says that by 2006,

filtre à particules systems will befitted to all the group’s dieselmodels over 100 hp.

However, at Denso, theworld’s number-threecomponent maker, global

sales director and boardmember Hiroshi Uchiyama

insists the company’s 1800 barcommon rail direct-injectionsystem (illustrated left), with itsfive injections per cycle, givessuch clean combustion that thediesel filter is unnecessary. Densowill soon add piezo electricinjectors to its technologyportfolio, a development alsobeing undertaken by Delphi andBosch following SiemensVDO’sbig success in pioneering thesystem in 2001.

Particle filters gain ground

Jaguar R-D6 concept takes diesel power into the compact sportssedan segment

Autumn 2003 INDUSTRY NEWS 5Ricardo Quarterly Review

The acquisition of thePROTOtechnik-IFT group ofcompanies by Ricardo in Juneof this year underscores theimportance we attach toGermany, Europe’s leadingautomotive market. This movesignificantly increases ourregional presence, providingthe necessary infrastructure,complementary technologyand critical mass to deliver fullpowertrain and vehicleintegration programmes froma local German base andteam.

In this issue of RQ wepresent the background to theacquisition and highlight ourvision for the future of Ricardoin Germany and the benefitsthat this will bring to ourGerman customers.

In addition to this excitingnews about our company I amalso pleased that we are ableto describe a significanttechnical achievement in thedevelopment of the RicardoLBDI® gasoline engine. Withdemonstrated fuelconsumption and CO2

emissions reductions each inexcess of 20 per cent andwithout compromising vehicleperformance, the LBDI®

concept offers the prospect ofa major step forward ingasoline engine economy fromtechnology that is alreadyviable.

A messagefrom theChiefExecutive

Citroën’s new C2 smallhatchback and its existing five-door C3 will be the first volumeproduction models to featureValeo’s start-stop system,operated through a belt-drivenstarter-alternator in the positionnormally occupied by aconventional alternator.

“This is the first step on theroad to [volume] hybrid vehicles,”said Valeo chairman and CEOThierry Morin at the Frankfurtauto show in September. Thestart-stop option, which isclaimed to save between 7 and10 per cent on fuel bills,combines Valeo technologies inthree areas and marks animportant move into powerelectronics, said Martin Haub,group vice president for R&Dand marketing. The engine,which shuts down when thevehicle is at a standstill, isrestarted in 400 msec when thedriver releases the brake(automatic) or engages gear in amanual, when clutch operation isfully by-wire.

Continuity of air-conditioning

operation during engine stop isassured by a further Valeodevelopment, Stop-Stay-Cool.An additional evaporator in thecircuit stores what Valeodescribes as ‘cold energy’ in anunspecified ‘cost-effectivematerial’; this cooling effect islater released into the systemwithout the need for the airconditioning compressor to berunning.

Valeo observes pointedly thatin Paris, where the red phase oftraffic lights is as long as 45

seconds, cars can spend asmuch as 35 per cent of theirtime stationary. A majorsecondary benefit of the start-stop system is thus improvedcomfort and refinement, notedPSA’s Gilles Michel.

Further advantages of thestop-start system include theelimination of the starter motorand the potential for energyrecuperation throughregenerative braking, though thisis not enabled on the presentsystem.

Europe’s micro-hybridsarrive

A useful extra benefit of thegasoline-electric hybridpowertrain is highlighted by anew Toyota concept carpresented at the IAA Frankfurtauto show.

Outwardly a mid-engined two-seater roadster, the CS&S in facthouses an additional pair ofseats below a slide-backfairing, while under itsbodywork lies a noveltwist on the HybridSynergy Driveengineering theme ofthe second-generationPrius, making its sales debut inEurope in the fourth quarter ofthis year.

Whereas the Prius mounts its1.5 litre gasoline engine, trans-

mission, generator and motor allwithin one large assembly, in theCS&S the elements aredifferently divided. The centrallymounted engine drives the rearwheels, while the electric motor ismoved to the

frontaxle to provide four wheel driveand improve weight distribution.This gives scope for significantly

improved handling androadholding.

A further novel feature of theCS&S prototype, though entirelyunrelated to its hybrid operation,is its so called Toyota SpaceTouch control system.Holographic projections which

appear to float around thedriver provideinformation about thecar’s multi-mediasystem, its air

conditioning and othertasks such as internet

access and navigation. Touchingthese virtual-reality displaysallows adjustments to be made –in a manner which Toyota claimsis both intuitive andstraightforward.

Citroen’s C2 is the first volume model to offer start-stop system,supplier Valeo claiming a 7-10 per cent saving on fuel bills

Toyota’s second take on the hybrid

Nissan has become a huge successunder Renault’s management. Is therea danger that it becomes the biggerpartner and, in some way, the moreglamorous company?We knew from the start that Nissan wasbigger: it was 50 per cent larger thanRenault when we took it over. There wereonly nine months during which Nissanwas worth less than Renault on themarket and these were the nine monthsduring which we negotiated ourcontrolling stake! The day we announcedthe agreement, this changed. Now, itwould be the most stupid thing to try toachieve a better balance by makingNissan less successful. I am notpreoccupied with this issue.

Will both marques be full rangesuppliers for all market segments orwill there be some things like 4x4swhere it is Nissan only?No, but you may have strong points and,purely for example, in Europe SUVs areNissan’s strongpoint and we are a full-linevolume market player. In other countries,say Mexico, we are more upscale andNissan is in the full line value for moneysector. Market by market it may bedifferent.

When Carlos Ghosn comes to Paris totake over your job in 2005, will youwant to have a Japanese personrunning Nissan?He has stated quite rightly that he willhave a Japanese COO in Nissan. Carloswill remain Chief Executive; how long willthis last is something that will have to beaddressed in a pragmatic way.

In cash benefit terms would it not beright to say that the way that Nissanhas turned out in its financialperformance was almost like winningthe jackpot?A jackpot is a one-time win, and the ideafor Nissan is a recurring win which isslightly different. Outside Renault it wasconsidered as a high risk bet which paidoff handsomely. The interesting thing isthat nobody else was prepared to takethe risk. It was not as if there was abidding contest for Nissan.

Do you take personal credit for it, forhaving taken that risk and won?Quite frankly, yes. There is a Frenchsaying, attributed to a Marechal calledJoffre in the First World War. He won thebattle of the Marne during the firstGerman invasion in 1914 and was asked‘Who won the battle?’ He answered: ‘WellI don’t know who won it, but I surely knowwho would have lost it!’

How do you feel your new designdirection has gone down with the VelSatis and Mégane hatchback?

Mégane is doing well. Everywherein Europe the design is a

major element of choice.It’s doing what wehoped it would doso we are veryhappy with it. TheVel Satis was lesssuccessful.

Does the failure ofthe Avantime mean

Renault’s ideas of high

design have to be toned down a bit?No I think there are different issues.Clearly Avantime was a niche car and itwas meant to attract a small number ofpeople – not a thousand or twothousand a day. Design was a positiveand not a drawback for the car. TheMégane is in a segment which isconsidered even more conservative.Golf is the traditional leader of thesegment, and we felt that we had tomake a statement on design in thesame way that Ford did with the Focus,which did very well. We made ourstatement with Mégane and it isexceeding its sales expectations.

But in the future will you take thesame risks with design?I think there is no such thing as a policywithout risks. Bland does not meansuccess: bland, no risk, is a certainfailure – but it can be a very discreetfailure because nobody notices it!

You’ve been strong on safety anddesign. What about powertrain andchassis? I believe we are good on chassis, and ifwe look at the press or what ourcustomers say I believe we are fairlygood in [getting] the balance betweendriving pleasure and comfort — thoughof course we do not put the samebalance in a 2-litre Clio as in a Scénic.Ten to fifteen years ago we were notleaders in engines; we have had issueswith reliability of diesel engines, but wehave been moving ahead. From the fuelefficiency point of view we are good,but on the gasoline side the issue to beaddressed now – as for a number ofour competitors – is to find directinjection which really delivers value forthe extra cost. To date we have seenmore announcements than results. In1996 and 1997 we, in common with thewhole industry, completelyunderestimated the potential of dieseland overestimated the potential ofdirect injection gasoline.

Alliance architectIn his eleven years in the driving seat of Renault, Swiss-born Louis Schweitzerhas turned the company into a design leader and taken control of Nissan, Daciaand Samsung to build a world Alliance selling over 5m vehicles annually. TonyLewin spoke to him at the launch of the second-generation Scénic in Stockholm

Renault’s BeBopconcept, Frankfurt,September 2003

6 LOUIS SCHWEITZER Autumn 2003Ricardo Quarterly Review

Autumn 2003 LOUIS SCHWEITZER 7Ricardo Quarterly Review

How will hybrids and fuel cells fare inthe European theatre? The so-called mild hybrids will bringadditional savings, but at a significantcost because for them to be fully efficientyou would need 42 volt batteries. Icannot see 42 volts not happeningeventually, and once it has happened itwould be stupid not to have the mildhybrid. If you look at hybrids in generalthe feeling is that from a fuel and costefficiency point of view diesel is a betterway to achieve it. On fuel cells thereseems now to be a consensus thatbefore 2020 they will not be significant inEurope except if there were genuinequotas saying you should put outspecified numbers of fuel cell vehicles.

Where do you see the limit in terms ofdiesel share in Western Europe? Andwill the Americans eventually seesense and go for those newerdiesels?As you know, last year the first meetingof all manufacturers of the world tookplace in Paris in October. One of theissues was diesel and we made thestatement in favour of diesel collectively,but I must acknowledge that amongst theBig Three there were clearly opposedviews, not on the potential of diesel, but

whether it will catch in the US. I believeat one point in time they will say yes todiesel but I can’t say when.

What will it take for them to wantdiesel?Maybe to find that diesel in some casesis more enjoyable than gasoline. I think itis significant for the US because the priceof the fuel in the US is a non-issue.Coming back to Europe, the limit to dieselis that Euro 4 is making it cleaner butmore expensive. Euro 5 when it happenswill make it still cleaner and still moreexpensive, which means that the balancebetween initial cost and cost of ownershipwill move more in favour of gasoline.

What is your attitude to SUV models?We have done it in our modest way withthe Scénic RX4 and the Kangoo 4x4.You have to accept that if you are mainlya European player, which is what we are,you do not find the volumes to make a lotof money. If you have to amortise all thedevelopment costs only on the Europeanmarket, you do not make a lot of money.So how do we get out of this? First wemay use Nissan technology, whichmeans reducing development costs and,secondly, we may use the fact that weare internationalising ourselves which

means having other markets thanEurope. Yes, I believe we will bringforward an offering, probably in the C-segment, as a 4x4 crossover.

When we look at French companieswe often find ourselves comparingyou with PSA. Why are your marginsless good?Currently PSA has had a very successfulproduct range with a number ofexceptionally successful models, in thesame way that the Scénic wasexceptionally successful for us. They areat a good point in their product cycle. Weare today at a lower point of our productcycle. In the long run there is no reasonthat the operating margins of Renaultand PSA should be significantly different.Of course we do have a little extra whichis Nissan.

You talked about your product cycle:what is the average age of your fleet?It is moving down. I believe with theScénic it will go down and, with thelaunches of the Scénic and the fullMégane family, we will arrive at 3.5 years.We want to keep it between 3 and 3.5years. In our best year for results wewere at slightly over 2.5, and in 2001 and2002 we were in the vicinity of 4.5. Yousee on average a fairly good correlation,all things being equal.

What are your plans for Dacia? Will itbecome a key brand for you in Easternand Central Europe?The first plan has been to turn thecompany round, and I think we aremoving ahead there, but it’s not easy. Togive an idea, Dacia’s labour cost isbetween 1 and 2 euros per hour all-in,compared with between 20 to 25 inEurope and 40 to 50 in a UAW plant. Onthe new product we are on schedule:this is the X90, the so called 5000-eurocar. And once we have these two thingsI think we have a good base forexpansion. ■

Louis Schweitzer, chairman andCEO, Renault1942 Born, Geneva1970 Inspecteur des finances,

French government1981 Chief of staff under prime

minister Laurent Fabius1988 Joined Renault as chief

financial officer and head ofstrategic planning

1989 Executive vice president1990 Chief operating officer1992 Chairman and CEO2003 President of ACEA for 2003

8 RICARDO IN GERMANY Autumn 2003Ricardo Quarterly Review

Premier-league purchaseThe acquisition of the respected PROTOtechnik-IFTGroup near Stuttgart propels Ricardo into the premierleague in Germany, the world’s second-biggest marketfor outsourced automotive engineering services.Tony Lewin looks at the landmark deal and what it means for Ricardo

Autumn 2003 RICARDO IN GERMANY 9Ricardo Quarterly Review

“Ricardo aims for growth inGermany” ran the headlinein the Financial Times on

July 1st this year; Ricardo CEORodney Westhead was quoted assaying that Germany had been a“serious gap” in the firm’s map.

But while those few blandstatements, typical of the FT’s calmand strictly factual style of reporting,were more than enough to earn anapproving nod from the financialcommunity, they nevertheless gavelittle hint of the real significance forRicardo – and for the auto industry inGermany.

Prior to the acquisition Ricardo had acertain presence in Germany. Howeverits representation was – on its ownadmission – too small and too far shortof the critical mass needed to attractthe staff and the business Ricardo’sworld-class skills portfolio merited. Thishad for some while been a source offrustration to Ricardo: Germany, afterall, is ahead of Japan and on a parwith North America as the world’sbiggest market for contract automotiveengineering services.

Yet now, following the purchase ofthe PROTOtechnik-IFT Group – whichreceived widespread and favourablecoverage in Germany – Ricardo hascatapulted itself from barely-visiblevisiting side to premier-league home-team player in a division where themost important fixtures invariably go tonational Germansquads. Through thePROTOtechnik-IFTGroup Ricardo issuddenly much more visiblyand publicly open for businessin Germany:doors whichwerepreviouslyhard tobudge arenow thrown wide open, with thewelcome sign hung out for goodmeasure.

The change, as Ricardo plc directorChris Bates admits, is remarkable: “Itwas imperative for Ricardo to be partof the largest automotive marketoutside of North America, and ourGerman customers had said that theywould like us to be more local.

“We have always supplied the majorOEMs in differing degrees across theworld,” explains Bates. “The wholerationale for doing this is to meet ourcustomers’ requirements – and ourGerman customers had said to us timeand time again ‘you must be closer if

we are going to have a larger andgreater relationship with you’. And wehave seen since the acquisition thatthis is likely to come to fruition: it’smore a question of doing a lot morebusiness with existing customers ratherthan attracting new customers.”

Having said that, however, thePROTOtechnik-IFT Group’s client listcould hardly be more impressive:among the Group’s currentprogrammes are the exhaust andinduction systems for the prestigiousPorsche Carrera GT, the exhaust

system for the equallyexotic Mercedes-McLaren SLR, andwork for McLaren-Mercedes FormulaOne and Toyota’sCologne-basedFormula One team.

PROTOtechnik-IFTalso has the durability

testing contract for allmodels from Daimler-

Chrysler’s smart division, andcontributed to the same group’s V8diesel engine programme andnumerous racing ventures. Furtherwork has included adapting Audi’s V8gasoline engine for off-road use inVolkswagen’s Touareg SUV – as wellas many other motorsport programmeswhere the company has agreed not todisclose the identity of the team.

Germany’s premium triangleIf the PROTOtechnik-IFT Group’s clientlist is the envy of every otherengineering services provider, then sotoo is its geographical location. If youtake a map of Germany and draw a

triangle between the three citieshosting the nation’s four mostprestigious and profitable producers –BMW in Munich, Audi in Ingolstadt,and both Mercedes-Benz and Porschein Stuttgart – PROTOtechnik-IFT’sheadquarters at Schwäbisch Gmünd isdirectly on the Stuttgart-Ingolstadt axis,with Munich just to the south. Itsoffices are just 30 minutes fromStuttgart, 120 from Munich and 100from Ingolstadt; key Tier 1 supplier ZFis an immediate neighbour, as is

PROTOtechnik-IFT – key facts● Location: between Stuttgart,

Ingolstadt and Munich● Founded: 1985● Employees: 250● Skills: exhaust system design and

prototyping; niche exhaust systemmanufacture; inlet system design andmanufacture; tube products; coolingsystem design; engineering design;engine testing; vehicle testing;motorsport engineering

● OEM clients: AMG, Audi, BMW,DaimlerChrysler, Ford, MAN, Opel,Porsche, smart, Toyota, Volkswagen,Volvo

● Tier 1 clients: Behr, Benteler,ContiTech, Donnelly, Eberspächer,Faurecia, Gillet-Tenneco, Hengst,Pierburg-Kolbenschmidt, Mahle,Mann & Hummel, Phoenix, Valeo ,Veritas, Zeuna Stärker, ZF, ZS

● Motorsport clients: Abt, Audi Sport,BMW Motorsport, HWA, Joest,Mercedes-McLaren, ToyotaMotorsport, Manthey, VW Motorsport

10 RICARDO IN GERMANY Autumn 2003Ricardo Quarterly Review

Bosch, which has many of its majorR&D and production facilities in thesurrounding cities.

It cannot escape notice thatGermany’s most important premiumplayers are situated in this southernhalf of the country, while volumemakers such as GM/Opel, Ford andVolkswagen lie further to the north. YetPROTOtechnik-IFT’s blue-chipcustomer portfolio is not just areflection of its pole-position location inGermany’s premium triangle: it hasbeen earned over the course of manyyears on the strength of thesophisticated nature of theprogrammes it is able to deliver.

For Ricardo it is a positive benefitthat there is relatively little overlapbetween the PROTOtechnik-IFTGroup’s range of skills and its own.Once Ricardo had acknowledged thatthe only way to expand in the keyGerman market was to acquire anexisting player, it became clear that itcould be self-defeating to take over adirect competitor. Instead, reasonedChris Bates and Detlev Baudach, headof Ricardo operations in Germany, afirm offering a different set of skillswould be a more logical move,eliminating any risk of duplicationeither in personnel or in orders withcustomers.

“We had been looking at variouspossibilities for about four years,” saysBates, “and for the past three we’vehad our eyes on the PROTOtechnik-IFT Group.”

Baudach recalls how, in late 2000 –just two months after he took over thetop slot at Ricardo GmbH – PROTO-technik-IFT first attracted Ricardo’sattention. “PROTOtechnik-IFT hadasked Ricardo to help with someadvanced simulation work it was doing

for Volkswagen – it was prettysignificant, as VW had suddenlyoutsourced a lot of the work andPROTOtechnik-IFT didn’t feel capableof offering all those extra services onits own. In the event it didn’t turn out tobe any real business, but from thatpoint on we began talking to eachother.”

At this early stage Baudach had the

grand total of five staff and was onlyrecruiting at a junior level. He explainswhy PROTOtechnik-IFT appeared to fitthe bill so well: “In PROTOtechnik-IFT Icould see something already wellestablished in the marketplace,something with an ideal location, andwith good experience and a goodspread of business – especially thingslike hardware, which complementedRicardo’s simulation approach. Thedeeper we looked into it, the moreopportunity we saw.”

Three-division structureReflecting its origins as anorganisation founded by talented andenthusiastic engineers, thePROTOtechnik-IFT Group has threedivisions, each operating in clearly-defined areas of the market. Much themost familiar in the broader autoindustry isPROTOtechnikGmbH, foundedin 1985 byKarl-HeinzGersmann and GüntherKönig: its core business isthe design of exhaust systems,and it has also gone on to build upan enviable reputation for the low-volume manufacture of specialisedhigh-performance exhaust systems forracing cars and ultra-high performanceroad cars such as the Mercedes-BenzSLR McLaren.

“Our biggest business is developingexhaust systems and manifolds for

series production by other companies,”explains Gersmann. “Nearly all the bigfirst-tier suppliers in the exhaustbusiness are our customers: we willdesign, develop and produce aprototype of a manifold with catalyst,and the rest of the system, and we willdo all the testing. What we don’t do isthe real volume production – all we doin terms of manufacture is the nicheand high performance applications.”

PROTOtechnik does not want tocompete with the volume exhaustsystem suppliers, adds Baudach byway of clarification: instead, it prefersto maximise its value by concentratingon the niche high-performance sectorwhere the volumes are so small thatthey don’t fit production arrangementsof the big manufacturers.

Having said that, PROTOtechnikdoes manufacture some systems insurprisingly high volumes: it makes the

exhaust for thenatural gaspowered

version of theOpel Zafira at a rateof between 10,000

and 13,000 a year.At the opposite endof the scale are the

Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren and thePorsche Carrera GT: the McLaren,says Gersmann, is “perhaps thebiggest challenge we could have hadin exhaust system development. It’s amixture of production and seriestechniques: from the technology side

‘The Mercedes SLR McLarenis perhaps the biggestchallenge we could have hadin exhaust systemdevelopment’

– Karl-Heinz Gersmann

PorscheCarrera GTsupercar (farright) -PROTOtechnikdesigned andmanufactureboth the intakeand exhaust systems.Here, the V10engine’sexhaust system glowshot in the test cell

Autumn 2003 RICARDO IN GERMANY 11Ricardo Quarterly Review

it’s closer to a racing design.”The Porsche marks an important

broadening of PROTOtechnik’sactivities into induction systems, too.“I think we’re the first company in theworld to do this – we supply the intake

system as well as the exhaust.Together with Porsche we developedboth systems,” continues Gersmann.“We call it ‘from air to air.’”

One of PROTOtechnik’s biggestadvantages in the market is the

flexibility born out of its racingexperience, says Gersmann. Racingactivities used to account for two-thirdsof PROTOtechnik’s business: “we’ve allbreathed in a lot of exhaust fumes inour lives,” he laughs. “It’s a specialbusiness, and you have to have theright feel for it.”

Engineering developmentFounded in 1989 by Austrian-bornengineer Dr Walter Schwelberger, IFTIngenieurgesellschaft fürFarzeugtechnik mbH majors onengineering development, electronicsand software design. It also undertakesbenchmarking work and other studiesfor the auto industry.

“I had earlier met Karl-HeinzGersmann – in 1978 when he wasR&D director at Bischoff,” recalls DrSchwelberger. “While I was working asan engine design consultant toVolkswagen in Wolfsburg I becameconscious that customers forengineering services were interested ingetting more than the prototypehardware – they wanted the design aswell as the software for the parts.That’s how the idea for IFT Fahrzeug-technik was born.”

“One of our first projects was thedesign of a special kind of inlet manifoldfor a six-cylinder VW engine,” saysSchwelberger, “and then the jobsincreased: different tasks within enginedesign, including Porsche cylinder heads,and other components around theengine.”

Other programmes have included thefirst research work on Mercedes-Benzdirect injection gasoline engines, andwork on a family of modular enginesfor the then-independent Daewoo inKorea. Today, IFT Fahrzeugtechnik’sprincipal client is DaimlerChrysler’s

smart division, carrying out durabilitytesting on the road. Another recentengineering programme has been thedevelopment of the lubrication circuitfor the Audi V8-engined VolkswagenTouareg: here, the existing system hadto be adapted to perform faultlessly atthe high angles of inclination likely tobe found in extreme off-road driving.

The Touareg programme also

The founders ofPROTOtechnik-IFT Group,from left toright: GüntherKönig, Karl-HeinzGersmann andDr WalterSchwelberger

‘We had the capacity todesign the parts and to buildthose parts... The next stepwas for us to develop thecapacity to test the parts too’

– Dr Walter Schwelberger

12 RICARDO IN GERMANY Autumn 2003Ricardo Quarterly Review

highlights the capabilities of theyoungest company in the Group, IFTPrüftechnik, founded in 1996 as a“logical move forward for us” to roundout the activities of the original firms.As its name suggests, IFT Prüftechnikhas testing as its core competence.

“We had the capacity to design theparts and to build those parts,” says Dr Schwelberger. “The next step wasfor us to develop the capacity to testthe parts too.”

The formula has proved verysuccessful: IFT Prüftechnik did all thedurability testing on the three-cylindersmart diesel engine, as well asMercedes’ V8 diesel and Audi’s V8diesels. The location in Schechingen –just 9 km from the Group headquarters– boasts an array of 12 sophisticatedtest cells equipped with the very latestmeasuring and control systems: justover half its work is durability testing,with calibration, mechanicaldevelopment and component testing

accounting for the remainder.“Ricardo provides a lot of additional

abilities right at the top end ofdevelopment,” explains Dr Schwel-berger. “There are of course someareas where we do almost the samethings, but I would say that now, with

the Ricardo connection, we are able toundertake bigger programmes and withmore sophisticated content.”

Big presence, big opportunitiesWhile Ricardo plc director Chris Batesis enthusiastic about the additionalskills and specialisations the

PROTOtechnik-IFT acquisition bringsto the Ricardo group, his greatestexcitement is reserved for the hugenew opportunities presented byPROTOtechnik-IFT’s geographicallocation:

“Firstly we can offer our customers a

local presence, a service that can bedelivered to them in their ownlanguage, with an understanding oftheir requirements in every detail thatthey could wish for. We can do it morecost-effectively for them, in the sensethat we no longer have to shipvehicles to the UK, and we can nowgive them access to the whole breadthof Ricardo technology to be deliveredin Germany, in conjunction with ourother operations around the world,and we can give them global coverageto meet their own global aspirations,be it in North America, Germany orthe UK.”

Having struggled for several yearsto achieve organic growth in itsGerman operations, Ricardo GmbHMD Detlev Baudach is the first towelcome this dramatic expansion ofthe company’s presence.

“When we started to really build thebusiness in Germany we found it quitedifficult to recruit the kind of peoplewe needed to provide the appropriateservices to our clients: we were fartoo small for people to feel any kind ofsecurity with the company, to feel thatthey were being offered a good careerstructure.

“Now, however,” he continues, “we’vereached that all-important critical masswhere we can be a serious force in the market and compete with theestablished companies on equal terms.”

ProspectsChris Bates, back at Ricardoheadquarters in the UK, is bullishabout the prospects for the future:“Our number one strategic aim, setout some years ago, was to becomepart of the German automotiveindustry – and this successfully fillsthat gap. We have work to do to growit, but it is a very good move forRicardo, for PROTOtechnik-IFT, andfor all the staff involved.” ■

‘In PROTOtechnik-IFT I could seesomething already well established in themarketplace... with good experience and agood spread of business... the deeper welooked into it, the more opportunity we saw’

– Detlev Baudach, Ricardo

IFT-Prüftechnik has carried out the on-road and durability testing of all smartmodels. Here the Roadster is under evaluation

PROTOtechnik-IFT is highlyregarded inmotorsportcircles. Here, anengine destinedfor the USIndycar Series is put throughits paces in thetest cell

Autumn 2003 RICARDO IN GERMANY 13Ricardo Quarterly Review

What is the strategic thinking behind theGerman acquisition?It was imperative for Ricardo to be part of thelargest automotive market outside of NorthAmerica – and our German customers hadsaid that they would like us to be more local.For some while we had sought to groworganically in Germany, but as far as staff areconcerned it is difficult to recruit when you area small company in a new country and areviewed as a UK company. To meet customerrequirements and to be able to recruit andretain staff and give them careerdevelopment, a substantial presence isnecessary.

What is the critical mass of the companyin Germany that could then snowball andbecome bigger?I think we are now there. We have that criticalmass. We now have nearly 300 employees inGermany and are looking to grow that tocloser to 500 in the coming years.

Can you explain what added benefits yourcustomers will now get following theacquisition?Firstly we can offer them a local presence,a service that can be delivered to them intheir own language, with an understandingof their requirements in every detail theycould wish for.

In terms of skills that the group can nowoffer its German customer base, whatextra does the new group bring?The new group brings in both complementaryskills, which are in line with our historicalbusiness of engine and vehicle engineering,and a new skill of high performance nicheexhaust manufacture and supply. On top ofthat it gives us a new skill of being able tocommunicate in the native language with ourcustomers!

So it sounds like language is quite anissue. Is it because you are dealing withpeople at all levels that the Germanlanguage helps?At senior levels of all our customers English isa commonly spoken language. However whenyou are talking on a very technical level,engineer-to-engineer or even in certainproject circumstances, it is much easier tocommunicate with total clarity when you arespeaking in your own language.

The existing customer base and orderbook must be one of the most valuableassets in the acquisition. Has this openeddoors to car companies that were notopen before to you?We very much hope so. We have alwayssupplied the major OEMs in differing degreesacross the world. The whole rationale fordoing this was to meet our customers’requirements.

So will Ricardo be perceived as a globalcompany rather than an English companyin Germany?We have come from an English base,although we have global operations in NorthAmerica and in the Far East. I very muchhope that we will be part of the Germanindustry and be perceived as part of theGermany industry, rather than an Englishcompany on the edge of German industry.

Was the geographical location ofPROTOtechnik-IFT an important factor inyour choice of company to acquire?Yes – apart from it obviously being inGermany, the fact that it is located within theStuttgart-Ingolstadt-Munich triangle was animportant factor in our decision.

PROTOtechnik-IFT differs from Ricardo inthat it has manufacturing capability – howdoes that sit with the rest of Ricardo’soperations?Very well. We already have a manufacturingcapability in prototype and nichetransmissions. We have a capability inprototype engines in both the UK and NorthAmerica, so the niche high performancenature of the exhaust business fits very wellwith the strategy.

Is it better to work with specialist nicheproducts than volume lines?Yes. One of the Ricardo’s strategies is to bewithin niche vehicles and niche products. Weare not a high volume manufacturer makinghundreds of thousands or tens of thousandsof products per annum. We concentrate onhigh value added, high quality niche andsmaller series low volume production whereRicardo can add the value. We are not bigenough and do not wish to be big enough inmanufacturing at that high volume level.

Will you retain the PROTOtechnik-IFT

brand name? I understand it is arespected brand in the German industry.Yes: the companies are going to be known asPROTOtechnik Ricardo and IFT Ricardo. Thatmay change over the coming years, but bothIFT and PROTOtechnik are very strongbrands within the German market and wewould not wish to dilute that.

Has the acquisition filled the mostimportant gap in the Ricardo portfolio?Yes it has. Ricardo is always looking to grow:our number one strategic aim set out severalyears ago was to be part of the Germanautomotive industry, and this successfully fillsthat gap.

Are there any other acquisitions Ricardo islooking to make? Ricardo will always look to acquire companiesthat fit our strategy and portfolio. Over the lastyear we have seen three acquisitions, withGemini in transmissions and motorsportmanufacturing, and Tarragon in control andelectronics. PROTOtechnik-IFT in Germanywas the perfect geographical fit for Ricardo.Yes we will look at other acquisitionopportunities in the growing areas of thebusiness, be it to fit technical developmentneeds, geographical development needs orcustomer needs.

You have got good contacts with theJapanese car makers through HORIBA,German car makers through the newacquisition and a well set up organisationin the US. Does this not leave gaps withFrench, Italian and Korean car makers?Taking each of those gaps in isolation, wehave very good relationships with Frenchmanufacturers and we look to grow ourpresence in France — probably organically,but if there was an opportunity we might lookfor an acquisition there. In Italy we have apresence through our control and electronicsand our vehicle engineering operations, whichwe are growing organically. In Korea we haverepresentatives, but we need to review whatwe do in Korea and other parts of mainlandAsia in the coming years. ■

Chris Bates, a director of Ricardo plc andmanaging director of Ricardo ConsultingEngineers Ltd, is based at Shoreham in the UK.Tony Lewin spoke to him about the acquisitionof PROTOtechnik-IFT

14 LBDI® Autumn 2003Ricardo Quarterly Review

As the automotive industry inEurope strives to reduce its newvehicle fleet average CO2

emissions in line with the commitmentof the European OEM body, ACEA, toachieve 140g/km by 2008, anincreasing emphasis is being placedon gasoline combustion efficiency.Since the ACEA commitment wasmade in 1998, much of the reductionto date in fleet-average CO2 emissionshas been attributable to the increasedpenetration of diesel engines withinEuropean markets at the expense ofgasoline.

However, there is a practical ceilingto this trend represented not just bycustomer preferences but also in themaximum fuel volume split that can bemanaged by the refiners. The result isthat the pressure is now on to developnew and commercially attractivetechnologies for higher fuel efficiency

(and hence low CO2) gasoline engines– engines which must deliver on real-world customer satisfaction as well astest-cycle fuel economy.

The challenge of downsizingEngine downsizing is a well-establishedconcept for the improvement of fuelconsumption and associated CO2

emissions. By reducing the swept volumeand increasing BMEP through boosting,friction and pumping losses can both bereduced and, in addition, the lower massof a downsized engine offers potentialcold-start advantages associated withreduced thermal inertia as well aslowering the weight of the vehicle.

But there are potential drawbacks too.The compression ratio must be reducedon a conventional boosted engine inorder to control knock, low-speed torqueis less than in a naturally aspiratedengine of equivalent peak torque and

power, and transient response may beadversely affected by turbocharger lag,particularly in the absence of moreadvanced boosting technologies.

In addition to these drawbacks, thereis of course the ever-present economicconcern of increased production costarising from many additionaltechnologies associated with enginedownsizing. As such, the challenge is todevelop technologies for gasolineengine downsizing which meet the ever-increasing demands of modern driversfor performance, responsiveness anddriveability but at the same timematching the CO2 emission/costpremium position of existing HSDIdiesel alternatives. The resultant vehicleis thus potentially profitable for both themanufacturer and the customer.

Meeting the challenge“In our research programme weexamined a range of concepts fordownsized DI gasoline engines,”explains Tim Lake, chief engineer ofthe Ricardo gasoline research team.We made use of advanced engineperformance and vehicle simulationCAE codes such as the Ricardo WAVEpackage and V-SIM, and subsequently,moved into a comprehensive multi-cylinder experimental programme.”Through the analytical andexperimental programme the teaminvestigated a range of engineconcepts including conventional directinjection (DI) operation, the RicardoLean Boost Direct Injection (LBDI®)and EGR Boost Direct Injectionconcepts. Also explored was MillerCycle operation based on the use ofvariable inlet cam phasing to changethe effective compression ratio.

Of the concepts investigated, LBDI®

Gasoline breakthroughdelivers 20% savingThis Ford Focus demonstrator provides a 20 per cent fuel saving over the standard 1.6 – using existing technologies and without the need for significant plant investment. Anthony Smith looks at the remarkable new Ricardo Lean Boosted Direct Injection (LBDI®) engine, set to rewrite the rules of gasoline economy

Cost-benefit analysis for low-C02 engine technologies

Autumn 2003 LDBI® 15Ricardo Quarterly Review

showed substantially the greatestpromise in terms of the trade-off ofperformance, cost and CO2 emissions.This concept uses lean operation toreduce full-load octane requirement andhence allows operation at highercompression ratios than is the case in aconventional DI. The lower exhausttemperatures of the LBDI® allows use ofa Variable Nozzle Turbine (VNT)turbocharger which gives advantages inlow speed torque and reduced lag.Furthermore, Ricardo also found thatwith the low exhaust temperatures ofLBDI® it was possible to use a standardproduction diesel VNT unit in place ofthe more expensive gasoline equivalent.

For emissions, the LBDI® conceptincorporates a Lean NOx Trap (LNT) inaddition to a three-way catalyst (TWC),something which is unnecessary in thealternative EGR boosted DI concept.

However, the CO2 emissionspotential of the LBDI® is sufficient tooffset the added expense andcomplexity of LNT technology, which isin production today with several vehiclemanufacturers.

Concept to realityConsiderable development work hadpreviously been carried out by Lakeand his team based on a single-cylinder Ricardo Hydra researchengine (as reported in RQ, Spring2002). This programme provided theopportunity to take the concept forwardboth to a multi-cylinder test bed

programme and to a vehicledemonstrator.

The selection of vehicle was itselfsignificant, as Lake explains: “C-classor lower-medium size cars representby far the largest segment of theEuropean market and hence thegreatest potential for reduced fleet-averaged CO2 emissions. It is thereforeimportant that we demonstratedownsizing solutions aimed at thiscritical sector.”

Together with research partners atthe Ford Motor Company, Bosch andJohnson Matthey, the team membersidentified as their baseline for engine

downsizing a Ford Focus equippedwith a 1.6 litre in-line four-cylindernaturally aspirated gasoline engine.The objective was to replace this witha 1.1 litre three-cylinder LBDI® engineoffering comparable performance anddriveability. Lean operation – especiallyat higher boost pressures – representsa more demanding environment forstable combustion, so the dualinjection strategies developed in theprevious single-cylinder work werefurther optimised in the multi-cylinderprogramme in order to improvecombustion stability. Additionalrefinements were applied to both air

Ricardo worked with Ford, Bosch and Johnson Matthey to develop a Ford Focus using the LBDI® engine

“A downsized 1.1 litre LBDI® engine can providecomparable performance to that of the 1.6 litrebaseline car, but the improvements in fuelconsumption and CO2 emissions are more impressivestill”

Tim Lake, Ricardo

Contour plot of percentage fuel economy benefitof LBDI® compared with baseline engine

motion and the production ignitionsystem and here too, significantimprovements were achieved in termsof combustion stability.

Delivering driveability with a 20 per cent fuel savingHaving completed the test beddevelopment phase, the teamprogressed to implementation of thevehicle demonstrator. “It was importantfor us to develop a full calibration forthe demonstrator so that we couldshow the performance of the vehiclewas comparable with that of thebaseline,” explains Lake.

The results of the work indemonstrating that the downsized 1.1litre LBDI® engine could providecomparable performance to that of the1.6 litre baseline were highlyimpressive – but the improvements infuel consumption and CO2 emissionswere more impressive still. Over theNEDC drive cycle the LBDI®

demonstrator returned a fuelconsumption improvement of betterthan 20 per cent below the level of thebaseline Focus, with an equivalentreduction in CO2 emissions.

In order to meet legislative emissionslimits the LBDI® engine is fitted withboth a TWC and an LNT. In order toachieve a good NOx trapping efficiencywithin the LNT the trap must operatewithin the relatively narrow range ofbetween 250oC and 550oC.

The team was able to show that thiswindow could be maintained bothduring NEDC as well as under all otheroff-cycle operating conditions. WithinEurope in particular, high speed drivingis commonplace and it was importantfor the team to be able to demonstrate

that even at maximum vehicle speedthe temperature drop across theturbine and through the exhaustsystem was sufficient to provide a safelevel for LNT protection.

Real-world benefits and commercial viabilityThe practical benefits of LBDI®

combustion demonstrated by the projectare undeniable: an improvement of over20 per cent in fuel consumption andCO2 emissions, and the ability to meetEuro IV (and beyond) emissions, whileproviding similar 0-100 km/h and low-speed acceleration performance to thebaseline vehicle.

But given the fact these improvements

are not cost-neutral, how will theconsumer respond? “It’s a long-established principle that consumers arewilling to pay next to nothing forimprovements in fuel economy alone,”explains Lake, “but fortunately with itslarge mid-range torque similar to adiesel, LBDI® can also offer punchyhigh-gear acceleration: customers willpay for performance gains like that.”

“If we examine different candidategasoline technologies in terms of theirrespective reduction in CO2 related tothe increased manufacturing cost of theengine and its emissions controltechnology, we see that LBDI® providesby far the best trade-off. Moreover, thesystem offers CO2 emissionscomparable with those of an HSDIdiesel but at a substantially reducedincremental cost.”

A bright futureWith such a positive cost-benefit trade-off and its ‘fun to drive’ appeal,Ricardo believes that LBDI® may be asattractive both to consumers as it is toEuropean OEMs in their efforts toimprove fleet average CO2 emissions.

But perhaps the greatest challengeof all will be to change the way inwhich swept volume is used as a directmeasure of attractiveness whenmarketing vehicles. For this downsizedLBDI® gasoline engine, less isdefinitely more. ■

For further information about RicardoLBDI® see www.ricardo.com/LBDI

16 LBDI® Autumn 2003Ricardo Quarterly Review

Downsized 1.1 litre, three-cylinder LBDI® engine in Focus demonstrator matchesdrive characteristics of standard 1.6 – but with a 20 per cent fuel saving

1.1 litre LBDI® gasoline demonstrator closely matches tractive effort of Focus TDC1 1.8 litre 100 PS Diesel

Autumn 2003 HIROYUKI WATANABE 17Ricardo Quarterly Review

Senior managingdirector andboard memberHiroyukiWatanabe, right,is in charge ofToyota researchand developmentworldwide

What is top of your R&D agenda rightnow?It’s the environment, and globalisation – inthe sense of harmonising standards andtechnologies.

Within the environmental areas, whichtechnologies are you pursuing moststrongly?There are five areas of technology: threeof them are related to engines. The first isthe development of clean diesel engines;the remaining two are hybrid technologyand the development of fuel cells. Ourfourth task is to make vehicles smallerand more compact, and the fifth is thedevelopment of information technology toimprove safety and reduce trafficcongestion.

You serve all the markets in the world.Which is the most importantpowertrain technology in your view?We are well advanced in the developmentof gasoline hybrid powertrains, which areable to reduce CO2 emissions andproduce a much cleaner exhaust. We arenow in the gasoline age, and will soonmove into the diesel age, and from then

we will pass into the fuel cell age. Thehybrid can be seen as just a bridgebetween the ages, but a more accurateview is that in the end all vehicles will behybrid, meaning that there will be moredifferent engine types and combinationsof engines.

What timescale are we looking at?We are already in the age of gasolinehybrids, and I believe that within ten yearswe will have diesel engined hybrids andfuel cell hybrids. It’s a matter of using twodifferent power sources in the mostefficient way.

What about the fuel cell hybrid?Efficiency in a fuel cell vehicle can bethree times higher than in a gasoline ordiesel one. But at certain points in theload range its efficiency decreases: thearea of excellent efficiency is limited, andthat’s where we need hybrid operation.

Why has Toyota stuck with gasolinehybrids and not yet looked at diesel?It’s an issue of chronology. There are twotracks to follow: one is to develop thegasoline hybrid to reach our final goal ofan eco-car; the other one is start with thediesel engine. The diesel has a very highcombustion efficiency but also largeemissions of NOx and particulate matter.Many carmakers from all round the worldhave been trying to make the dieselexhaust as clean as that of gasoline, andit’s not easy.

How do you see the next ten years interms of mild and full hybrids andcustomer acceptance?

It depends on the cost of theperformance of each type. The mildhybrid can only improve efficiency by tenper cent and reduce CO2 emissions byten per cent. A strong hybrid, as we callit, like Prius, can give a 50 per centincrease in efficiency – but 20 per cent ofthe energy efficiency increase of thestrong hybrid is actually achieved by theregenerative braking system. So inEuropean countries or cities wherepeople drive their vehicles at very highspeed or often accelerate rapidly, andwhere traffic congestion is not such a bigproblem, I believe the strong hybrid willbe a much better solution.Another point is that strong hybridtechnology will eventually lead to fuel celltechnology.

What about the high cost of thecomponents in these strong hybrids?We have been in discussion with a majorEuropean OEM over the past five yearsabout hybrid fuel cell technology: theybelieve hybrid is too costly and want justto concentrate on the development of fuelcells. Our counter-argument is that almostall of the components of the strong hybridare the same as for the fuel cell vehicle,so if you cannot reduce the cost of thecomponents in the hybrid you cannotmass-produce fuel cell vehicles.

Can you give an idea of the relativecosts?The cost of adding hybrid operation to agasoline vehicle is roughly the same asthat required to bring a diesel enginedown to the exhaust emission levels of agasoline vehicle. ■

Toyota is the world’sleading promoter of hybridvehicles, promising tobuild 300,000 a year. Asthe second-generationPrius hybrid goes on salein Europe, Tony Lewinspeaks to HiroyukiWatanabe, one of thecompany’s leadingengineers

Hybrid pioneer

18 GSQA Autumn 2003Ricardo Quarterly Review

While gearshift quality is something that few peoplestop and think about, its effect is something that weall experience in our daily lives as drivers. It’s also

something that we may become rather more conscious ofwhen considering a new vehicle purchase and test driving arange of candidate products. This is reflected in the motoringpress where almost any ride and drive report on a new car willinvariably contain references to the responsiveness and ‘feel’of its transmission. Indeed, in an environment where commonpowertrain systems are increasingly being offered across awide range of differently badged vehicle products, gearshiftquality is becoming a potentially important brandingcharacteristic.

But to quantify and characterise the attributes that give avehicle particularly good or bad shift quality – and to use thisinformation to improve its design – is an extremely difficultprocess. Firstly it is necessary to understand the subjectivemeasures that we all instinctively apply in evaluating anabstract concept such as shift quality. Secondly, in order to beable to develop new transmissions that exhibit positive shiftquality attributes and avoid negative driver responses, anunderstanding is needed of the engineering basis of differentshift quality characteristics.

Until comparatively recently, manual gearshift quality wastypically evaluated solely on the basis of the observations andassessments of teams of test drivers. This approach sufferedfrom a very high degree of subjectivity due to the manydifferent driving styles, tastes and personal interpretation ofeach gearshift by each individual driver. Ricardo recognisedthe need for a more objective process and pioneered itsGearShift Quality Assessment (GSQA) system. According toMarcus Fear, principal engineer (CAE) at Ricardo Driveline &Transmission Systems, the guiding objective of GSQA is toreduce the requirement for skilled engineering resource ingearshift quality development, while at the same timeimproving its speed, accuracy, and repeatability. “Essentiallywe want to remove the skilled engineer from what wasformerly a time consuming process of capturing data and,instead, enable him to be able to concentrate on the morevalue-added processes of transmission system development,benchmarking and problem resolution.”

Shift lever measurementGSQA comprises a comprehensive package of hardware andsoftware which aims to enable transmission engineers tomeasure and analyse shift quality rapidly and in an accuratelyrepeatable and objective environment. In addition to this it canbe applied in the diagnosis of known operational problemsand the validation of engineering solutions.

In terms of hardware the GSQA system comprises all the

instrumentation needed to log dataof gearshift handball position andforces.

The modular design of thesystem allows the GSQA to bemounted in vehicles ranging fromcompact cars to heavy trucks. Inaddition to a full range of cables,electrical connectors and otheraccessories, the hardwareinstallation includes a signalconditioning analogue to digitalconverter. This acquires data andtranslates it into a form readable bya laptop PC. A total of 16 channels

are provided on the base level GSQA system: six are used toconvey applied gear knob forces and location in threedimensions, four channels are used for temperaturemeasurements, and the remainder are used for otheranalogue measurements such as speeds, forces and torques.

The software supplied with the GSQA system comprisestwo packages, each written as MATLAB® applications,respectively for data acquisition and for analysis. The softwaregives the capability to assess performance of the gearshift interms of a range of pre-determined objective measures,replacing the need for subjective evaluation. The system asdelivered includes a range of data based upon Ricardoexperience but, inevitably, most manufacturers will wish topopulate the system with measures which reflect the desiredbrand characteristics of their own vehicles.

Land Rover: embedded brand values in shift qualityEngineering vehicles with consistent transmission brandattributes is a major focus of activity for David Tilling andHans Berg, attribute specialists at Ford Premier AutomotiveGroup (PAG) with respective responsibilities for Jaguar and

Land Rover vehicles. “The constituent product engineeringteams of PAG have joined forces to ensure that all aspects oftransmission performance conform to group standards, whilemaintaining the brand DNA of each vehicle marque,” explainsTilling, “We use the GSQA system principally for twoapplications: the measurement of competitor vehicles for thepurposes of benchmarking and establishing our own

Shift workWhat makes a gearshift satisfying? What makes it disappointing? This keycomponent of driver enjoyment is notoriously difficult to analyse objectively, butthe latest Ricardo GearShift Quality Assessment (GSQA) system is rapidlybecoming the industry standard to help carmakers achieve gear change feel thatprecisely matches their desired brand values. Anthony Smith reports

‘Total reliability is important – in particularfor benchmark testing, when we may haveonly one opportunity to test a given vehicle’

– Hans Berg, Land Rover

Marcus Fear, Ricardo

Autumn 2003 GSQA 19Ricardo Quarterly Review

development targets, and in the development of new gearshiftsystems in the future products of PAG brands.”

Robustness and ease of use are particularly importantqualities of the GSQA system to PAG. Time is always at apremium during the product development cycle and theavailability of test vehicles can be extremely limited. As Bergexplains, “a major advantage of the GSQA system is that wecan install the equipment in a vehicle in the morning and carryout measurements, change various components and settingsand re-test the vehicle the same day. Total reliability isimportant – in particular for benchmark testing, when we mayhave only one opportunity to test a given vehicle.”

PAG also cites the comprehensive nature of the analysissoftware as a significant advantage of the GSQA system. Likemany other OEM users, however, they have embedded theirown objective measures within the system. “We have our ownguidelines for shift quality which reflect the characteristics ofthe individual PAG brands,” explains Tilling, “and it’s importantthat these are used in the development process.”

While GSQA is now very much part of the transmissionengineering process at PAG, the company feels that individualusers of the system have much to learn from each other. A‘governance board’ or internal GSQA user group is beingformed, aimed at sharing knowledge of the system,establishing best practice guidelines for its operation, andinvestigating future applications.

Tier 2 suppliers: GSQA validates simulation modelBut if GSQA can be put to such good effect by OEM users,how is it used by its many customers in the componentssector? As one of the leading manufacturers of transmissioncomponents and sub-systems such as synchroniser systems,

HOERBIGER serves a wide range of OEM and Tier 1customers. It is highly focused on the need to engineer highstandards of gearshift quality. According to Ottmar Back,manager of research and development at HOERBIGERAntriebstechnik GmbH, GSQA finds a number of applicationswithin the company: “With GSQA we can offer systematicproblem analysis to our customers. Design modifications canconcentrate upon the identified root cause and if we haveused simulation in our analysis, GSQA can be used tovalidate the model.”

HOERBIGER has also used GSQA in manynew product programmes, including thedevelopment of new six-speed manualtransmissions, for improved shift quality. As withOEM users, reliability, ease of use, repeatability andaccuracy are all important. “GSQA is in our experience easyto install into a vehicle and is easy to use,” explains Back.“The comparison of two systems with two drivers in the samecar showed good correspondence.”

Back at Ricardo, Marcus Fear is confident that the marketfor GSQA will continue to expand. “We have just launchedversion 5 which has some particularly useful new features. Forthe first time we can process vehicle CAN bus data whichenables a range of control signals and operational details tobe recorded in parallel with gearshift data, opening up a widerange of potential new applications. In terms of ease of use,the new automated shift point picking capability will alsoremove the need for skilled data processing.”

But this is far from the last word in GSQA development, orin its growing range of applications. According to Fear,Ricardo is already talking to a number of OEMs from Japanas well as elsewhere in Asia about the potential use of GSQAin engineering versions of their vehicles which are moreclosely in tune with European tastes. In production too, thecompany is talking to a number of transmission manufacturersabout the potential application of the system in end-of-lineconformance auditing.

Longer term, many customers are also considering theapplication of GSQA in the optimisation of shift quality in newAutomated Manual Transmission (AMT) systems.

Here the ability to process vehicle Controller Area Network(CAN) bus signals and the 32channel capability available with thenew version 5 of GSQA will openup many more possibilities forengineering desired shiftcharacteristics both in terms ofhardware design andchanges to the transmissioncontrol software. With acustomer list that readslike a directory of theworld’s automakers itmay already besomething of anindustry standard,but GSQA clearlyhas potential forgrowth. ■

New features of GSQA version 5● 32-channel compatible software (previously only 16)● Vehicle Controller Area Network (CAN) compatible

software● Fully automated shift point picking, removing the need

for skilled data post-processing● Fully integrated clutch hysteresis measurement● Improved plot and scaling functionality● Improved data import and export routine

‘With GSQA we can offer systematicproblem analysis to our customers’

– Ottmar Back, HOERBIGER

20 RICARDO NEWS Autumn 2003 Ricardo Quarterly Review

Now in its fourth year aspart of the Goodwood

Festival of Speed, GoodwoodGravity Racing Club’s DunhillChallenge draws teams –predominantly of graduateengineers – from many of theUK’s leading automotiveorganisations. From astanding start the vehiclesrace in pairs, graduallyaccelerating downGoodwood’s 1.13 kmnormally uphill course,ultimately reaching racespeeds over 100 km/h.

The Ricardo graduateswho decided to take up thechallenge for the 2003 race,developing and racing thecompletely new RS/02vehicle, realised they had amajor engineering task ontheir hands. Competition hadbecome increasingly fierceover the previous two years,with many teams applyingsignificant technical resourceto the challenge. “When thisyear’s competition wasformally announced inOctober 2002 we realisedthat it would take aconsiderable engineeringcommitment to becompetitive, let alone to winthe 2003 race,” explains MarkFowler, a graduate engineerat Ricardo VehicleEngineering.

The team started bydesigning RS/02 around the

driver, aiming to achieve anoptimal fore/aft weightdistribution. “We had learnedsome fairly important lessonsfrom the experience of the2002 Ricardo graduate teamwith their RS-01 vehicle,”concedes Fowler. “RS-01 had

been fast but it lackeddirectional stability oncornering. This restricted thespeed at which it could travelaround bends without risk ofspinning off. Our mostimmediate challengetherefore was to engineerRS/02 for improved stabilityso that it could tackle bendswithout braking while stillremaining stable.” The teamachieved this by placing thedriver as far forward aspossible while incorporatingan adjustable rear rollstiffening beam into thedesign of the chassis.

In the form of a 3D CADmodel the external shapewas optimised using theRicardo VECTIS CFDsoftware package. “I hadpreviously used VECTIS aspart of my day-to-day workand so was able to apply thistechnology directly to the

project,” explains fellow teammember John Cusack. “Byusing VECTIS we were ineffect able to place the RS/02design in a virtual wind tunneland, through a process ofiterations, we produced anoptimised shape whichoffered the best compromiseof stability and low friction. Inparticular, we were able toevaluate the effect of the full-height side pods that are acharacteristic feature of thisyear’s car.”

The chassis was modelledextensively using the ADAMSsimulation package tooptimise its dynamicperformance. The final designincorporated fully adjustableroll stiffness and wheelalignment geometry, allowingthe vehicle to be tuned to theparticular requirements of thedriver and the trackconditions prevailing at the

Downhill to victory

RS/02 aerodynamic package was carefully honed in thevirtual wind tunnel provided by the VECTIS software. Full-height side-pods emerged as a key feature

Winning Ricardo RS/02 at itspeak speed (101.8km/h) onGoodwood’s main straight,above. On bends, right, the vehicle’s stability proved a crucial advantage

Autumn 2003 RICARDO NEWS 2211Ricardo Quarterly Review

event. For the wheels, theteam wanted to achieve highlateral stiffness for corneringbut at the same time haveextremely low inertia in orderto maximise acceleration fromthe start line.

“We came up with the ideaof using tough, low massmountain bike hubs coupledto the lightest weight rims wecould find,” explains Fowler.This was absolutely critical tous in achieving a quick startand stable cornering.” Brakingwas provided via disc brakeson each wheel, automaticallybalanced across axles andwith fully independent frontand rear operability formaximum driver control.

However, to be trulysuccessful in downhill racingrequires a vehicle engineeredin such a way that the brakesare rarely – if ever – used.Nik Tyson, driver of theRS/02, takes up the story: “Indownhill racing it’s importantto get a good start. We racein pairs against the closestmatched rival from theprevious run. As such, if youcan accelerate quickly youhave a chance of taking theoptimal racing line ahead ofyour competitor.”

“RS/02 was paired againstLotus but its low inertiawheels gave a distinctadvantage in this respect andwe quickly moved ahead ofthem,” said Tyson.

Having won the 2003Goodwood competition theRicardo graduate team is nowlooking forward to thechallenge of 2004. Newmembers may join the teamwith this year’s graduateintake and some will no doubtleave, but one thing is forsure – the 2004 event will seea substantially new Ricardovehicle. “We expect thatRS/03 will be a 90 per centnew car,” predicts Fowler,“and we already have a rangeof new ideas that we wouldlike to try out.”

In a challenge that says asmuch about engineeringinnovation as competition, itseems that at Ricardo the willto win remains as intense asever. ■

Set to open at Ann Arbor,Michigan, as we go to

press, the Global PowertrainCongress (GPC) is expectedto attract a high-profileaudience of automotiveengineering professionals fromacross the US auto industry,as well as many overseasdelegates.

The opening session isentitled Powertrain Drivers andsets the scene for theconference by considering anexternal view of the forcesdriving powertraindevelopment. Moderated byRicardo Inc president JeremyHolt, the session will provide arange of perspectives on theenvironment, legislation, andconsumer and business needs,outlining the various technicaloptions under considerationaimed at providing solutions tothese drivers.

Papers are due to bepresented from a wide range ofsources including engineeringresearch organisations, USgovernment agencies andacademia. In his paperSelecting PowertrainTechnologies for Future LightDuty Vehicles, Peter Brown ofRicardo will outline in detail theprocesses used by Ricardo indeveloping its technology roadmaps to forecast the futuretake-up of new automotivetechnologies.

The process describedprovides for a systematic andobjective evaluation ofalternative technologies whiletaking into account theperspectives of consumerdemand and regulatoryrequirements, as well as thecompetitive positioning of themanufacturer.

In the Advanced PropulsionSystems session of the GPC,a paper by Nick Owen andMarc Wiseman presents theRicardo view of the role ofhybrids in the possible futuretransition from carbon-based

fuels to hydrogen. In theirpaper they build upon theresults of previous Ricardoresearch examining thepossible routes to the transitionfrom carbon to hydrogen-basedautomotive propulsion in theEuropean market.

An outline analysis ispresented of some of theeconomic factors governingearly uptake of hybrids. Owenand Wiseman conclude thatprogressive hybridisation offersan excellent route toward ahydrogen/fuel cell future or avariety of other alternativefutures including thosefeaturing the internalcombustion engine orbreakthrough electric vehicles.The additional cost of this newtechnology remains asignificant factor, but will bereduced as initial investmentsare recovered and risingmanufacturing volumes enablethe economies of scale to berealised.

In the Advanced EngineDesign and Performancesession a paper by Ricardo’sAdrian Greaney, Steve Whelanand Brian Cooper addressesthe highly topical issue ofmeeting the challenge of lightduty diesel emissions in theUS market.

The most significantchallenge facing the adoptionof diesel engines is identified

as the need to achieve thevery stringent requirements ofthe US Tier 2 fleet averageemissions limits to be phasedin over the next five years. Atthe same time, in order tomaintain an attractive positionin the market the diesel enginemust maintain its CO2

advantage over gasoline andcontinue to increase powerdensity in order to meetconsumer demands for highperformance diesel vehicles.

The paper outlines aRicardo approach known asAdvanced CombustionTechnology for Improvedengine Out NOx (ACTION),aimed at developing dieselengines to meet these criteria.

Based on the philosophy thatemissions are best reduced atsource, ACTION is beingdeveloped to apply toconventional diesels withminimum change cost, using acombination of advanced highpressure fuel injectionequipment and enhanced air-handling systems.

In addition, Marco Fracchia,Peter Harman and David Kellywill be presenting a paperoutlining their work ontransmission developmentusing Ricardo’s GSQA(GearShift QualityAssessment) programme.GSQA is reviewed in detail onpage 18 of this issue of RQ. ■

Ricardo Inc president chairsGlobal Powertrain Congress

Diesel ACTION strategy described by Ricardo in theAdvanced Engine Design and Performance session

22 RICARDO NEWS Autumn 2003 Ricardo Quarterly Review

Ricardo Software is to hold its first European Users’Conference on November 5th 2003 at the PROTOtechnik-

IFT-Ricardo site in Schwäbisch Gmünd (approximately 40kmfrom Stuttgart). There will be no charge for the event. Intendedboth for existing and potential users, the technical focus of theconference will cover all of Ricardo Software’s products, aswell as providing an opportunity to discuss recent and planneddevelopments with Ricardo Software's development andsupport teams. An informal reception will be held on theevening of November 4th for all delegates. For further detailsand to request registration please e-mail:RS_EUC@ricardo.com.

Chinese distributor appointedUsers of Ricardo Software products in China will benefit fromimproved training and support provision following theappointment of Beijing Jiu Zhou HiRain Technology CompanyLimited (HiRain) as distributor of the company's suite ofanalysis products in that country. Commenting on the move,Ricardo Software president, Dr Richard Johns, said: "theappointment of HiRain as Ricardo Software distributor in Chinawill be of considerable benefit to our Chinese customers,enabling them to benefit from local language and time-zonecommunications."

Ricardo Software sales enquiries in China should now bedirected to HiRain at Tel: +86-10-82011456, Fax: +86-10-62073600 or e-mail: ycji@hirain.com. Full contact addressinformation is available at www.ricardo.com/contacts. ■

Ricardo will host a technical seminar entitledParticulates and particles from automotive sources at

the company’s Shoreham, UK, facility on October 23, 2003.Of potential interest to engineers, research scientists and

managers from the OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, oil and additivecompanies, industry groups and government agencies, theseminar will explore the emerging issues surroundingparticulate emissions from all types of vehicle technology.

Four technical sessions will be presented. The first willcover current concerns and market drivers, including thecurrent legislative frameworks applied to particulateemissions, an overview of engine and aftertreatmenttechnology trends, and a review of health concerns relatedto automotive particulate emissions. The second session willfocus on the methods used to obtain high quality test data.

This will include a review of current methodology forsampling and particle sizing, and the implications ofmeasuring very low particulate mass levels. Therecommendations of US EPA 2007 will also be discussed.

Session three will concentrate on the detail of particulatechemistry and the instrumentation and metrics used inparticle sizing for both diesel and gasoline engines. The

final technical session will address engine, vehicle and othereffects on fine particles. The results of published researchwork and Ricardo experience will be described in terms ofthe implications for particulate emissions of various enginetypes, fuels, lubricant additives aftertreatment technologies,and fuel injection systems.

A panel discussion will be held at the conclusion of theseminar. Informed largely by the presentations and Q&A ofthe preceding technical sessions, the panel discussion willaim to identify the gaps in the current knowledge ofparticulates, the most promising abatement technologieson the horizon, and the prospects for future legislation.

Overall it is hoped to discuss the future needs anddirection of investment by the automotive industry inparticulate emissions research and development ofabatement technologies.

The participant registration fee for the seminar is £500(exclusive of VAT and accommodation). To reserve adelegate place or to receive further information about theseminar, please contact the event organiser, MichelleMairs (Tel +44 1273 794374 or e-mailseminarinfo@ricardo.com).

Seminar to focus on automotive particulates

Ricardo Softwarehosts Europeanconference

Ricardo VECTIS analysis of combustion (top) and spray structure(above) in a DI diesel engine

Following the acquisition of the PROTOtechnik-IFT group, Ricardo now has a team of over 300 in GermanyDelivering full powertrain and vehicle integration programmes from a local base near Stuttgart.The combined technical and programme delivery expertise of Ricardo and PROTOtechnik-IFT sets a new standard in Germany.

Nach der Übernahme von der PROTOtechnik-IFT-Gruppehat nun Ricardo in Deutschland ein Team von über 300Mitarbeitern, das von einem lokalen Standort bei Stuttgartein komplettes Programm an Antriebsstrang undFahrzeugeinbauten liefert. Durch die Kombination ausKnowhow im Bereich Technologie und Lieferprogramm vonRicardo und PROTOtechnik-IFT werden neue Maßstäbe inDeutschland gesetzt. www.ricardo.com